


Starborn

by Shelaar (JonathanAnubian)



Series: Starlight AUs [7]
Category: Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games)
Genre: But through the Force, Canderous is dad material, Force Healing (Star Wars), Gen, Mandalorian Culture (Star Wars), Mando'a Language (Star Wars), Planet Taris (Star Wars), Synesthesia, Temporary Amnesia, Time Travel, fight me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:29:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27642794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JonathanAnubian/pseuds/Shelaar
Summary: As the Endar Spire crashes into Taris a lone Mandalorian comes upon a young girl who appears to be lost. This pink haired child who came from nowhere, speaks Mando'a, and wears beskar'gam.Who she is and where she came from he has no idea. But she's a fellow Mando'ad, and that's all that matters.
Relationships: Canderous Ordo & Original Character(s)
Series: Starlight AUs [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727944
Comments: 13
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This _should_ have gone into Plot Bunnies but... I have too many ideas for this and my fiancé is goading me on. XD

Beneath the spiraling towers of upper Taris the halls wound in strange patterns through the expansive underground. Gritting his teeth as he strolled along the winding path back to Davik’s estate Canderous grumbled under his breath. So far no one had presented even the smallest bit of a challenge to the Mandalorian and it was beginning to grate on his nerves. The blubbering thugs that acted tough but had no honor to speak of were like gnats. Far beneath his notice but just annoying enough to swat out of his way.

In particular Davik had hired a bounty hunter named Calo Nord recently and the short human male was a mouthy little bastard. He’d tried a couple times now to goad Canderous into fighting him but he wasn’t interested. That and Davik had given strict orders that they were not to fight one another. If it weren’t for the damn Sith blockade he’d have shot the little womprat and taken off already.

A small explosion nearby made him tense, gripping his weapon tighter in readiness. There were shouts and blaster fire coming from one of the halls off to his left, he turned and sprinted toward the noise.

Turning the last corner he raised his blaster, ready for an attack, but was met with a sight so peculiar he had to stop and take it all in. Standing in the middle of a group of downed Black Vulkars was a small slip of a humanoid with bright pink hair and skin as pale as a ghost. The two blasters in their hands were still steaming as they swayed in place, taking a small step to keep on their feet. They turned to stare at him and he was startled by the bright violet eyes that regarded him critically.

 _“Are you going to attack me as well?”_ The voice was higher pitched, musical, and he could tell from the way her armor clung to her slender form that she was physically feminine.

 _“Not unless you attack me first.”_ He said simply, lowering his weapon. She looked young, somewhere around thirteen or fourteen, and Canderous wasn’t in the habit of attacking children.

“Thank the Ka’ra.” The girl mumbled as she put her blasters away. Canderous stiffened in recognition. He glanced to the shining metal that clung to her arms from wrist to elbow and a sneaking suspicion crept in.

“Are you alright?” The girl’s eyes snapped back to him from examining the bodies on the floor and she contemplated him for a moment before seeming to relax slightly.

“Fine, I’m uninjured.” Well, she certainly knew Mando’a. But whether or not she was Mando’ad had yet to be seen.

“I am Canderous of Clan Ordo. Who are you?” The girl smiled at him, pushing her long hair behind an ear.

“Stella of clan Cin’sara.” Canderous recognized the clan as one that was moderately large, although he was surprised they had survived the war, and he let himself relax.

“What are you doing down here?” She paused and an odd look came over her face.

“I don’t know…” Her eyes darted around, going wide in confusion. “I don’t remember. I just… they suddenly attacked me and… I…” With no warning her eyes suddenly rolled into the back of her head and she fell to the ground in a dead faint.

“Dammit.” He growled.

This was a young girl, a Mando’ad no less, and he couldn’t just leave her in the middle of the underground. Especially not after she’d taken out a group of Black Vulkars. If someone else found her there was no telling what they would do. Rolling one of the bodies out of his way with his foot he slipped the girl over one shoulder and lifted her easily. She couldn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds, if that. His old armor had weighed more he was certain.

Back at Davik’s estate he ignored the blatant staring as he headed toward his personal quarters, the girl now tucked against his chest so as not to hurt her unnecessarily.

His plan was to let the girl rest as he did some investigating, see if he couldn’t find out where she’d come from. The fact that she had weapons on her meant she probably wasn’t an escaped slave. But if that was the case, how had she arrived on Taris during a Sith blockade? Were there other Mando’ade hiding out on the planet? If so he’d never seen hide nor hair of them.

 _“Canderous, I didn’t realize you were into the exotic type. Couldn’t find someone conscious who’d agree to sleep with you?”_ Bristling at the implication he turned to glower at the little shit who couldn’t keep his damned mouth shut. Calo Nord stood nearby, a smug grin on his face.

 _“It’s no business of yours, Nord.”_ Turning away he quickened his pace, putting as much distance between himself and the slimy little creep as possible. Otherwise he’d be tempted to answer that insult with a blaster bolt between those gaudy goggles.

Once inside his quarters he locked the door behind him and set the girl down carefully on his bed. She didn’t seem to have a fever and her skin wasn’t chilled. Her pulse was steady and her breathing wasn’t labored so he assumed she wasn’t in dire need of a medic. Not that he’d trust any of the ones Davik employed anyway. Unclasping her armor he set it aside, he knew from experience that sleeping in partial armor wasn’t the most comfortable. Hitting the clasp of her bracers he frowned at the odd weight of them. Slipping the first one off he saw something clatter to the ground and picked it up to examine it.

It was a lightsaber.

This just brought up more questions than answers. What jetii child wore beskar’gam and spoke Mando’a? What Mando’ad carried lightsabers like a jetii?

Well. There was no point in speculating. Once she woke up he could interrogate her. Until then he’d just have to keep the jetii’kade hidden.

Pulling up the blanket he looked down at the small sleeping child and frowned. No clan, to his knowledge, would let one of their youngsters go running around without proper protection. He shook his head to clear it. He’d get nowhere on his own. Only end up thinking in circles.

Grabbing his maintenance equipment he sat down at the nearby table and set about checking over his weapons and giving them a good cleaning. The girl would wake up soon enough and he’d get his answers then.


	2. Chapter 2

The girl remained unconscious for the rest of the day but Canderous didn’t leave her side, save to grab latemeal for the two of them in case she woke up. He’d already gone through his stash of weapons and given them all a good cleaning. Now he was leaning back on a chair with his feet on the table, engrossed in a holobook. A quiet groan grabbed his attention and he looked over at the girl as she began to stir.

Setting the holobook down he pulled his feet off the table and stood. “Finally awake?”

“…I feel like I was run over by a bantha.” Came the tired reply. Canderous chuckled.

“Well I don’t know why you passed out, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with you.” Grabbing the glass of water he’d set down near the covered meal he stepped up to the bed and waited as she slowly sat up.

“Thank you.” Carefully handing off the glass he watched her suck down the water as if she’d been stranded on a desert planet for days, rather than just passing out for ten hours.

“I have questions for you.” The girl grimaced, violet eyes narrowing at him slightly.

“I’ll answer what I can. But I think I can already guess what you want to know. I can feel them on your belt.” He wasn’t surprised, jetii had a peculiar way of just knowing shit.

“So what is a jet’ika doing wearing beskar’gam?” She’d already ruled out the other possibility, that she was a mando’ad who had somehow stolen a pair of lightsabers.

“I’m no longer a jetii. I haven’t been for over a year now. I denounced the Order and swore to the Resol’nare when Clan Cin’sara took me in after the death of my Jeti’buir.” She lowered her gaze, staring down at the cup in her hands. “I am mando’ad… but I was raised as a Jetii and I cannot separate myself from the Force. The Alor of Clan Cin’sara understood that and they allowed me to keep my weapons.” She shook her head slightly before looking back up at him. “Does that answer your questions?”

Reaching back he unclipped the weapons from his belt and held them out to her. “Most of them.” Gingerly she took the lightsabers from him, her eyes never leaving his. “How did you end up on Taris in the middle of a Dar’jetiise blockade?” The girl froze, eyes wide.

“Dar’jetiise blockade?” She squeaked. He let out a small snort of amusement.

“Yes, the Dar’jetiise Empire. They parked their asses over Taris a couple of days ago and aren’t letting anyone enter or leave.” Her confusion was both obvious and concerning. “They’ve been around for a while.”

“But the Dar’jetiise were wiped out!” She declared.

“Yeah, well, everyone believed that until Revan returned at the head of a new fleet.” The girl’s face went through a complicated mess of expressions before she looked away from him, down at the weapons in her hands. Closing her eyes she did… something. Or at least he assumed so as her shoulders relaxed and she went unnaturally still. The kind of stillness he’d seen in jetii before.

“It’s true! Oh Force, what the fuck?” Canderous let out a bark of laughter.

“Where have you been? Living under a rock?” She shook her head, nibbling on her bottom lip. There was a sense of grief and fear about her now, her hands were trembling and he frowned. “Hey, you’re alright adiik, the Sith don’t often patrol down here. You’ll be safe with me until we can find your clan.” The girl frowned at him.

“I’m no adiik, I’ve already passed my verd’goten.” He blinked, one brow raising in surprise.

“Oh? How old are you then?” He didn’t want to call her a liar but she did not look much older than a child.

“Seventeen.” If it wasn’t for the even gaze she leveled at him he would have thought she was joking. “My birth people are all very small. I’m almost at my full growth.” She grumbled, looking very put out.

“And yet the Cin’sara Alor took you into his clan?” He knew the jetiise were worthy opponents, their strange powers bringing an unpredictability to battle that had always excited him, but she honestly didn’t look all that strong. Although she did have two lightsabers, which was pretty unusual from what he knew of the jetiise.

“I’m a battlefield medic. I don’t need to be strong to take down an opponent. I just need to know where to hit them.” A confident grin crossed her face and Canderous nodded in approval.

“Well said, verd’ika.” She smiled at him, cheeks coloring slightly. “But you didn’t answer my question. How’d you end up here?” Her expression grew grim and she shook her head, reaching up to press a hand against her temple.

“I don’t… know? No, I don’t remember.” She sounded very annoyed with that admission. “I was with my squad when… something happened. I think there was a flash of light and then… I was standing there with those two Niktiise aiming blasters at me and barking orders. I didn’t think, I just moved.” Canderous frowned.

“So you lost track of time? Could someone have drugged you and you escaped somehow?” She shook her head.

“I don’t know. And I don’t want to try and force myself to remember. The best thing for amnesia is to let it right itself on its own. Either the memories are there and my mind is trying to keep them from me for my own sake as I slowly work through it or those memories are completely lost and there’s no way to get them back. But that does leave me in a bit of a predicament. I have no memory of anything more recent. Like the Sith.” He couldn’t help feeling that she was keeping something from him but at the same time she looked so forlorn and lost it was hard not to believe her.

“What are you going to do now? You’re stuck on Taris for the time being, there’s no way past that blockade.” The girl looked up at him and sighed.

“I can try to find a job as an assistant medic somewhere and lay low, as much as I can with my appearance at least.” He grimaced.

“The Tariise up above are all xenophobic, while everyone down here is either part of the Exchange or a Swoop Gang. Below us there’s Rakghouls.” It wasn’t a pretty picture, that’s for sure. “Finding a job won’t be easy.”

“Well… fuck.” He couldn’t help letting out a small laugh.

“I’m guessing you don’t particularly want to stay on this planet either.” She gave him a look he remembered from his own youth and he chuckled. “I have a plan to leave this rock but I’m too conspicuous.” Her eyes brightened.

“If it’ll get me back to where my squad was last I’ll help in any way I can.” She turned toward him, looking serious. “Canderous of Clan Ordo, my doors are open to you.” He blinked at the oddly formal offering of an alliance but reached for her as she held out her arm.

“My doors are open to you as well, Stella of Clan Cin’sara.” They clasped forearms to seal the new alliance and he swore he could almost feel something… spiritual. Like the air was vibrating in pleased acceptance. The girl looked a lot more settled as she released his arm.

“Well, now that we’ve settled that, what’s our first move?” Shaking his head he grabbed the tray with the covered meal and handed it to her.

“First you gain back some of the strength you lost, then we start planning.” Taking the tray she gave him a grateful smile.

“Thank you.” He grunted and returned to his seat, picking up his holobook.

“Don’t worry about it.” He replied easily, his mind distracted by new plans. Even if she was a mando’ad the verd’ika had access to the Force, that opened up a lot of avenues. He’d have to grill her on her skills when she was finished eating.

Leaving Taris couldn’t come fast enough in his opinion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a;
> 
> Jetii- Jedi.  
> Jet'ika- Padawan.  
> Beskar'gam- Iron Skin, a Mandalorian's armor.  
> Mando'ad- Mandalorian.  
> Resol'nare- The Six Actions, the tenets that all Mandalorians swear to uphold when they become Mandalorian.  
> Jeti'buir- Literally Jedi Parent, but meaning Mentor/Master.  
> Alor- Leader, Chief.  
> Dar'jetiise- Sith, plural.  
> Adiik- Child between the ages of 3-13.  
> Verd'goten- The traditional rite of passage in Mandalorian culture in which a Mandalorian youth was accepted as an adult.  
> Verd'ika- Little Warrior/Young Warrior, also the rank of Private.  
> Niktiise- Nikto, plural.  
> Tariise- Tarisians.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella meets one Calo Nord and instantly dislikes the creep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in the middle of working on other things when this popped into my head and I couldn't ignore it. Hope you all enjoy!

As the girl ate her meal Canderous sat back and tried to re-organize his thoughts. It was clear that the girl, and it was hard to think of her as anything else even knowing her true age, would have a hard time fitting in anywhere. She looked too soft for the underground, too alien for the people of Taris, and was too foreign for the Dar’jetiise forces. He could hear it in the way she spoke Mando’a, the ever so faint hint of whatever accent she’d had before learning their language.

“I can hear you thinking from here.” Looking over at her he was again struck by the vibrant color of her eyes, compared to her skin it was almost like they were glowing. “What’s on your mind?” Shifting in his chair he leaned forward, putting his arm on the table.

“It’s going to be hard to fit you in somewhere.” He admitted easily enough.

“Even with my beskar’gam? It’s not that common.” He let out a sigh.

“It’s not that simple verd’ika. If you had a buy’ce it would work but I didn’t see one with you.” The girl frowned. “No one down here is going to believe you’re a hardened killer for hire.” She snorted, her features smoothing out in amusement.

“They don’t have to. I’m a medic, so lets not lie about it. I can prove my medical knowledge easily and underground crime rings are always looking for reliable medical care for cheap. But I’m also a Mando’ad and I can fight. I have the skills.” He chuckled. She certainly sounded like she knew where her strengths lay.

“Alright, I’ll talk to Davik. Tell him you’ve offered your services as a medic and a mercenary for hire. Do you want to go under a fake name?” The girl stilled, her expression wavering between guilt and apprehension. “Verd’ika?” She shook her head as if to clear it and looked back at him.

“Stella is fine. No one will recognize it here.” He sat back, just observing her for a moment. There was a distant and sad look in her eyes that he recognized from his own experience. Grief.

“Alright, Stella. Once you’re feeling up to it we can go.” A small smile crossed her face and the sadness vanished, hidden once more.

“I’ll be fine once I’ve finished eating. I’ve been healing myself with the force since I woke up.” He let out a startled chuckle.

“Didn’t realize you could do that.” Her smile turned mischievous.

“My jetii training has to be good for something other than swinging around jetii’kade.” She said with a shrug as she finished up the last of her meal.

Getting out of bed she grabbed her armor and slipped it on as if she had never worn anything else in her life. Deft fingers dancing over the clasps and hidden straps until she was fully kitted out once more. She moved so fast and with such surety that he almost missed it when she slipped her lightsabers back into their hiding place in her bracers. Looking down at herself to make suer everything was secure she jumped in place twice and nodded when nothing fell off or shifted awkwardly. It was something the young ones were taught to do to ensure that their kit was secure. After a few more years she’d be confident enough in her habits that she wouldn’t need to test it anymore.

Getting up from his chair he slipped his blasters into their holsters and raised a brow when he saw a disgruntled look on her face. “What’s wrong verd’ika?” She startled slightly.

“Oh, I was just lamenting the fact that I won’t be getting the rest of my armor any time soon.” She fiddled with the small medical kit on her belt, as if to distract herself. “I was going to get more when we got back from the most recent job… that won’t be happening now.” Canderous frowned. It sounded like she thought she wouldn’t be getting home at all.

“Once we get off this piss-poor excuse for a planet we’ll see about getting you home, I swear. Don’t worry too much about it for now.” He wasn’t about to abandon some kid who’d only recently passed their verd’goten. Seventeen or not she looked fucking twelve. Especially when standing next to him. Stars she was tiny!

“Thank you.” It was spoken quietly but with an intensity he could feel.

“There’s no debt between allies, verd’ika. Now let’s go be seen.” She snickered at the agitation in his voice and he let it slide. It was better than the far off look she’d had earlier.

Leaving his quarters with the girl at his side, taking two steps for every one of his yet keeping up with his long stride easily enough, he spotted some of Davik’s thugs hanging around. They started and made themselves scarce when they realized he’d noticed them. Cowards.

“I assume no one else speaks our language.” She said cheerfully.

“As far as I know. We’re the only Mando’ade at the very least. We might have to come up with some creative ideas to fool the boss though.” She smiled at him as if they were having a perfectly normal conversation and not planning to turn on a crime boss.

“Well, at least we’ll be able to talk about our plans without anyone knowing. It’s easier than hand-signs, and far less conspicuous.” He grunted in agreement as they walked through the halls of Davik’s compound.

He looked at the time. “Davik will be busy for a while yet. We might as well head to the cantina. It’s a good place to get noticed.” She snorted in amusement.

“Trust me, I’m hard to miss.” She replied dryly.

He didn’t really understand what she meant until they entered the cantina, where the lights were set low. She lit up like a low powered glow rod. “Really?” He asked. She let out a laugh, attracting even more attention from the patrons.

“Why do you think I want the rest of my beskar’gam? There’s no way I could sneak anywhere like this. Even with the force.” She shook her head and looked over at the bar. “What’s the legal drinking age here?”

“We’re in the Lower City, there won’t be one. But they shouldn’t give you any trouble anyway, come on.” They walked up to the bar and he ordered himself some ale. The girl ordered some fruity concoction with a high percentage of alcohol. He raised a brow at her, more amused than anything. She just grinned at him and took her drink.

“I’m going to scout things out. See what I can pick up from people around here.” Watching her go he leaned against the wall, drinking his ale and watching the scum scurry about trying not to catch his attention. It was maybe fifteen minutes later when he felt that itch that always preceded trouble. Across the room the verd’ika was glaring daggers at Calo Nord, drink in one hand and the other hanging dangerously close to a blaster. Whatever he said was enough to make the girl stiffen in offense and lean away from the little creep. Her eyes flicked toward him and he knew it was a sign for help.

Pushing off the wall he strode across the cantina, ignoring patrons who moved out of his way in a hurry.

 _“…just curious. Don’t see someone like you around every day.”_ The leer on his face had Canderous instantly on guard. Coming up behind the verd’ika he saw her visibly relax. Even without looking back she’d probably sensed him with her jetii magic.

“Trouble, verd’ika?” The girl turned to look up at him.

“I don’t know who this guy is but he’s a total bastard.” She said honestly. Nord frowned, looking between the two of them.

 _“So, she’s one of your people. I assume that makes her good with blasters then?”_ Canderous watched the girl bristle at the suggestive tone and felt his own ire rise.

 _“You’re out of line, Nord.”_ The bounty hunter scoffed.

 _“She must like things rough if she’s with you.”_ He said loudly, a little too loudly. The grin on Nord’s face as the other patrons looked between them, scrutinizing him, was enough to understand what the little shit was trying to do. Even in the underground having a child as a romantic partner wasn’t looked on favorably. Sure, no one would say anything about it due to his reputation, but it would also cause problems later. Nord obviously had no qualms about it though judging by his interactions with the girl so far.

He said the first thing that came to mind that would make sense.

 _“She’s my daughter, Nord!”_ He growled. Thankfully the girl didn’t even flinch, just continued to stare down the bounty hunter.

 _“You’re kidding yourself if you think anyone is going to buy that. She looks nothing like you.”_ The verd’ika snorted and knocked back the last of her alcohol before slamming the glass down on the nearby table.

 _“I’m sorry that you forgot adoption exists, outsider. Now why don’t you go hit on someone in your own league?”_ She sassed. Turning to look back at him she smiled. “Guess I’m going to be calling you buir from now on.” He chuckled.

“Just until we leave. No regrets, verd’ika. As for the bounty hunter, be careful of him. He’s a crazy little bastard. Dangerous.” She nodded.

 _“You know I’m not someone who likes being ignored.”_ Came the almost bored voice of the bounty hunter. The girl stilled and he felt his skin prickle with a sense of coming violence.

 _“Well it’s a good thing that you’re very hard to ignore.”_ Instead of making the bounty hunter angry it just seemed to amuse him. Canderous couldn’t see his eyes behind the goggles but he could see the smug smirk crossing his face.

 _“Got a name, sweetheart?”_ Canderous may not have been a father before but he was feeling the very real parental urge to throw the little shit out a window.

 _“Stella. Or Medic Ordo if you want to be formal.”_ From her tone of voice it was clear which one she’d prefer the little creep to use.

 _“Calo Nord, best bounty hunter in the Outer Rim.”_ It wasn’t even a lie. The little bastard was notorious.

 _“I’ll keep that in mind. But I doubt I’ll need a bounty hunter any time soon.”_ Came the verd’ika’s curt reply.

The atmosphere could be cut by a knife as the girl glowered at Nord and the bounty hunter smirked back. Most of the patrons had decided it was best to mind their own business and not be caught up in whatever this was but some of them were keeping an eye on the situation.

A message came to his comm. “Davik’s back, wants to see us.” A similar ping could he heard from Nord and Canderous wanted to sigh. “I’ll fill you in on what you need to know while we walk.”

“Yes buir.” His mind stalled slightly but it was only for a moment. “He’s going to follow us, isn’t he?” True enough Nord was right on their heels as they left the cantina. He grit his teeth. They would only have to deal with him for a little longer before they were off Taris. Best to ignore him for the time being and focus on explaining things to the verd’ika.

“My riduur and I are estranged. After the war I went into exile. You would have been six or seven when I left.” The girl nodded, looking sombre.

“I can work with that.” She agreed readily. Her eyes flicked to the left for a moment as Nord came up beside her. The bounty hunter didn’t say anything but it was obvious he was keeping an eye on them. He kept pace all the way up to Davik’s meeting room, where the crime boss was waiting to interrogate them.

 _“Canderous. Heard you returned with someone and hadn’t left your quarters. That’s highly unusual for you. Who’s this?”_ The crime boss looked the girl over with a critical eye.

 _“Stella Ordo, my daughter.”_ The man’s brows rose in surprise before narrowing in suspicion.

 _“Didn’t know you had kids.”_ There was a dangerous glint in his eyes.

 _“I left that life behind me. She came looking for me on her own.”_ Davik frowned before turning to the girl.

 _“Is that right?”_ Stepping forward, eyes almost glowing, she nodded.

 _“That’s right, sir. Buir- my father left when I was young, after the war. My mother never spoke of him much after that but I knew some of the old soldiers and they told me stories about him. After I came of age she couldn’t stop me from searching for him anymore.”_ Canderous felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Even if the story wasn’t true it still hit a little close to home.

 _“Hm, I take it you’ll want to stay? Well I’m not exactly running a charity here.”_ The boss said evenly. _“And I don’t employ children.”_ The girl stood straighter, trying to look bigger than she was. Unfortunately it only highlighted how small she really was.

 _“I know what I look like, but I’m seventeen. I’m also a Mando’ad and a trained battlefield medic. Put me to the test and I can prove my use to you.”_ That got the man’s attention.

 _“Well, I suppose with the blockade you don’t really have anywhere to go, do you?”_ He took a moment to think about it. _“Alright. I was going to send Canderous out on a salvage run to the Undercity. I’ll add you to the team.”_ Canderous tensed.

 _“The Undercity is filled with Rakghouls and you want me to take my daughter with me?”_ He knew she was a jetii, had seen her hide her lightsabers earlier, yet the idea of this small girl up against a horde of mutated plague carriers sent a chill down his spine.

 _“If she’s your daughter I see no reason why she can’t handle it. She wants an in with the Exchange? She can prove she’s capable.”_ The girl smiled confidently.

 _“I won’t let you down.”_ Davik nodded, looking pleased.

 _“Excellent. I’ll let Canderous pick whoever else he wants to take with him. Calo, I have a job for you.”_ With Davik’s attention elsewhere he motioned for the girl to follow him out. They walked in silence for a moment.

“Would this be a bad time to mention I have no idea what Rakghouls are?” He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his graying hair.

“No. It makes sense you wouldn’t know if you’re new to Taris. Rakghouls are plague carriers. Mindless mutated creatures. The plague is incurable and it only takes a bite or a scratch.” He glanced at her armor. “As long as you don’t get too close you’ll be fine.” The girl let out a small hum of acknowledgment, deep in thought.

“What are the properties of the virus?”

“Mutation, for one. Violent bouts of uncontrollable anger and loss of sentience for another. It works fast too, six hours at the least.” Her brows came together in concentration.

“Then I should be able to combat the disease with the force if it comes down to it. I’m not sure how much help I would be to anyone already mutated but I could stop the disease in its tracks and purge it from the body.”

“Is that something you learned from your life before swearing to the Resol’nare?” She smiled up at him.

“I’m a trained force healer. My jeti’buir took me to many battlefields and plague ridden worlds searching for enemy force users who were using their abilities to abuse innocents.” There was a confident glint in her eyes as she looked up at him. “Don’t underestimate me just because I’m small.” Laughing he punched in his code for the armory and led her inside.

“Feel free to stock up, verd’ika. We’re going to need a lot of firepower.” She eyed the weapon racks for a moment before wandering over to look at the smaller rifles. He left her to it as he commed some of the more competent thugs Davik had employed.

If she was right and she could actually do what she said she could then the danger of infection was less dire. But that didn’t stop the Rakghouls from being dangerous creatures who could rend flesh with teeth and claws. He would need some heavy hitters if they were going to venture down into that hellhole.

[Stella]

It was hard to swallow- the fact that she was no longer where she belonged. The force itself felt tumultuous, even as it wrapped her in its warm embrace like always. She could feel the touch of darkness that seemed to cling to everything around her and it made her shudder in disgust. Glancing over her shoulder at Canderous she felt reassured by his bright presence. Like most Mando’ade he was loud to her senses. Stalwart and controlled, honorable and steady, but there was also a sense of loss and contemplation around him. Yet, surprisingly, she sensed no hostility. Even after he learned she used to be a Jedi he had only seemed curious more than anything. Curious with a hint of respect.

If she really was in the time of Revan then the Mandalorians had been defeated in the recent war. Considering his age and mentions of the war Canderous had to have fought in at least a few of the battles. Unfortunately the classes on this time period were quite vague about a lot of the small details. They’d gone over a few of the major galactic scale conflicts but it had been a handful of sentences at best. She knew there had been advanced history courses but seeing as she had put all of her focus on being a healer they hadn’t been relevant to her training.

Focusing back on her task of switching out her weaponry she ran her hands over a couple of the rifles before deciding against them. They were a little large and unwieldy for her size. It was obvious most of the weapons were made with larger species in mind and while she wasn’t tiny she was most certainly not a particularly large near-human. Turning away she stopped when she spied a couple of smaller weapons. Picking up the carbine she gave it a quick once over before deciding to take it with her.

“Buir?” There was a small spike in the man’s emotions, something pleasantly warm and unguarded. She had surprised him and from what she could see his reaction wasn’t a negative one. That was good at least. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, even if it was to keep up appearances.

“Yes verd’ika?” Grabbing a couple of ammo cartridges he set them in one of the pouches on his belt.

“My blasters are all custom made.” She lied, trying to sound casual about it. “I don’t think any of the ammo here is going to work in them.” The man let out a small huff of amusement.

“That’s the trouble with custom weapons, verd’ika. But don’t worry about it for now. We can stash your blasters in my locker for now. Grab whatever you like.” Relieved she looked over the wall of blaster pistols.

As she was checking the grip on one of them the doors to the armory opened and a group of men came inside. They felt apprehensive and a little harried but weren’t giving off any hostilities so she turned back to her task.

 _“You all know the drill. We’re heading down into the Undercity. Gear up.”_ She could almost count on one hand the seconds between the surprised curiosity and one of the men speaking up.

 _“Who’s the kid?”_ Rude, but not an uncommon reaction. She decided to let Canderous handle it as she swapped the pistol in her hand for one with a smaller handle. Ah, perfect!

 _“Stella, my daughter.”_ The complete silence that followed the statement made her giggle out loud, even though she’d been trying not to.

 _“Also not a kid.”_ She said, spinning the two blasters in her hands as she turned to look at them. Slipping the blasters into the holsters hanging from her hips she smirked at them. _“I’m a medic. Let me know the moment you’re wounded and you might survive this.”_ It was a bit harsh of her to say but she’d been around stubborn Mandalorian warriors for long enough to know that a firm had was needed to keep pointless deaths to a minimum. Especially in a scattered group like this one.

Some of them looked to Canderous for an explanation but the man ignored them, looking over his own heavy blaster instead. Although he didn’t let anything show on his face she could see the color of his amusement in the force and felt pleased to have caused it.

She watched them gather up their armor and frowned when she realized that Canderous didn’t have any. In fact she hadn’t seen even a hint of armor. Even in his quarters the only armor there had been her own.

“Buir… where’s your beskar’gam?” The man’s grip tightened on his blaster and Davik’s men looked between them in concern.

“Gone, verd’ika. When we lost the war we were stripped of our arms and armor before being exiled.” Her chest tightened with the feeling of wrongness and loss.

“I understand.” The loss of one’s armor was a huge blow to the pride of a Mandalorian. It wouldn’t be strange for him to refuse any armor but his own until his original beskar’gam could be hunted down.

 _“Alright men, look sharp and keep your wits about you.”_ Taking a deep breath she centered herself as best she could for the coming fight. There was no way to truly prepare for the creatures that Canderous had described to her, the poor plague ridden beings who were no more than mindless beasts now.

Stepping into the elevator with the rest of the mission team she put her trust in the force and swore that she and Canderous would make it back alive, even if no one else did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a;
> 
> Dar’jetiise- Sith  
> Buy’ce- Helmet  
> Beskar’gam- Mandalorian armor  
> Verd'goten- The traditional rite of passage in Mandalorian culture in which a Mandalorian youth was accepted as an adult.  
> Verd'ika- Little Warrior/Young Warrior, also the rank of Private.  
> Buir- Parent  
> Riduur- Spouse  
> Resol’nare- The Six Actions, the tenets of Mandalorian culture.  
> Jeti’buir- Jedi Master


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Undercity is a nasty place but it isn't the worst place Stella has ever been.

[Canderous]

The Undercity. A festering pit filled with garbage and toxic sludge that no sane sentient would ever want to visit if they could help it. Even before the doors of the old elevator opened you could smell it. The warm ripe tang thick on your tongue. He’d been down there enough now that it didn’t bother him nearly as much as it did the others but he was surprised that the only reaction from the verd’ika was a slight crinkling of her nose. Either her senses were non-standard, she was doing some sort of force shit, or she had seen enough of this kind of thing that it didn’t bother her as much.

The doors opened and a pair of locals backed away the moment they saw him. By now they knew not to try and pull their bullshit cons on him or Davik’s crew. Ignoring them he turned toward the nearest exit of the shanty town. He turned back when he heard a low hiss of warning and saw one of his men rolling his eyes and shaking his head as the verd’ika handed a couple of squatters a handful of ration bars. The dingy residents seemed to notice his attention and quickly scattered. Stella jogged to catch up to them and gave him an amused smirk when he raised a brow at her.

 _“They’re just going to mob you on the way out now.”_ One of the young thugs said. _“Waste of time.”_ The verd’ika’s smirk widened.

 _“Oh? So you don’t want to know that the Vulkars already scavenged everything on the Northwestern side, then?”_ Canderous chuckled in amusement at the gobsmacked look on the thug’s face. Stella continued to smirk. _“You can learn a lot if you get your head out of your shebs and pay attention to the people who actually live here.”_ The thug looked at him in confusion but he just waved them onward.

“Was that actually what they said or is this some force shit?” He asked in Mando’a. The thugs looked between the two of them nervously but didn’t say anything.

“A bit of both. They did tell me that the Vulkars came down here and hauled some scrap away, but I can also sense something.” He nodded and turned his attention to the squatter manning the gate. The man frowned but let them through, closing the gate behind them quickly.

 _“Alright, weapons at the ready. These bastards can and will come out of nowhere. You see something crawling toward you, you shoot it without hesitation.”_ He said the same thing every time he came down to the Undercity with a new group. Too many of them thought they were quick enough on the draw and left their blasters in their holsters. That same number ended up dead.

He saw a look of grim determination cross the verd’ika’s face as she pulled the two pistols and held them at the ready. She nodded at him before her purple gaze snapped toward a disturbance in the distance. “I’ll try to steer us away from the worst of them.” He nodded.

Having a former jedi around was going to make things a lot more interesting.

[Stella]

They’d been down in the place known as the Undercity for force knew how long. There were no natural lights here and there was little in the way of sentient life. Oh there was certainly life down here. But it wasn’t sapient. The rakghouls themselves were driven by pain, rage, and hunger in a manner that made her shiver in disgust and pity. There was just something so dark about them in the force that she loathed letting them get too close.

It didn’t seem like the thugs thought her ability to notice the rakghouls before anyone else was suspicious, which was one less thing to worry about she supposed. To be fair she had given them the excuse that her eyesight was better in low-light and her hearing was stronger than the average near-human. They didn’t question it after that.

“Buir, I sense someone close by.” Canderous didn’t look back at her, eyes scanning for another threat.

“Which direction verd’ika?”

“East, not far from here.” He gave the thugs their orders and turned to head them toward where she could feel a pulse of panic. Whoever it was, was not having a good day.

As they rounded a corner Canderous held out his arm and stopped her dead in her tracks. His eyes narrowed at the ground for a moment. _“Mines, watch your footing.”_ She paled slightly and stepped back. “I thought your force let you sense things.” He said to her quietly.

“Every force user has their strengths and weaknesses. I’m good with living things, not so good at inanimate objects.” Speaking of… she sensed a life-force nearby and looked up to see someone coming out from behind a half destroyed escape pod. He was holding a blaster and shaking like a leaf in a storm.

 _“Wh-who are you!? Don’t come any closer!”_ She glanced up at Canderous as he frowned. She placed a hand on his arm to get his attention.

“Let me?” He eyed her for a moment before stepping back. She turned toward the man who was colored with panic and fear.

 _“Please, you need to calm down. My name is Stella and I’m a medic.”_ She smiled at him and tried to project a feeling of safety and reassurance. _“Are you injured? Do you need assistance?”_ She could hear one of the thugs behind her scoff and wanted to glare at them. If they wanted to try and get through the mine field she wasn’t about to stop them. But she’d really rather not have to deal with the aftermath.

 _“You- you’re a medic? Please, I’ve been bitten! I need h-help!”_ The group behind her stiffened, guns trained on him warily. She could feel Canderous’ eyes on the back of her head.

 _“If you shut down the mines I’ll come to you.”_ The man looked at the rest of the group behind her.

 _“Alone!”_

_“Alone is fine.”_ His emotions fluctuated between relief and uncertainty before she heard a series of small beeps.

 _“They’re off, but I can turn them on with the touch of a button if your friends get any closer!”_ Turning to Canderous she signed at him to stand down and keep watch. He watched her for a moment before nodding.

“It’s your show, verd’ika. I just hope you know what you’re doing.” Without another word she crossed over the ground between Davik’s thugs and where the frightened man was waiting. When she got to a certain point she heard the series of beeps again and froze.

 _“I turned them on behind you. Now you can’t betray me.”_ She slowly walked toward him until she was only a few feet away.

 _“I promise I won’t betray you. Like I said, my name is Stella. What’s yours?”_ The man lowered his weapon, his tongue darting out to nervously wet his lips.

 _“Tarn, Tarn Bevik. I’m a soldier for the Republic.”_ Nodding she made sure he could see her hands as she reached for her medical kit.

 _“Alright then Tarn. Have a seat and let me take a look at that bite. I think I have something that can help.”_ Relieved he sat on a piece of half-sunken metal and with a grimace peeled back his sleeve.

The bite was worse than she’d thought. It looked almost gangrenous and the skin was inflamed. Placing her hand on his arm she reached up and pressed a hand to his forehead. _“I’m just looking to see if you have a fever.”_ She lied.

Using the force she dove deep into the soldier’s body, finding all the tainted places and tattered threads of sickness. Already the infection had set in and was clawing it’s way through his system, slowly corrupting him from the inside out. It was an insidious and disgusting thing that made her recoil in horror as the oily feeling of the darkside prodded at her mind. She threw off its clinging tendrils and with a mental push began to burn out every bit of it she could find.

By the time she was done she was shaking, though barely any time had passed in the outside world. She smiled at him shakily and reached into her pouch for a bacta injection. There was no need to waste any antibiotics when she’d already cleared him of infection. _“This should clear it up no problem. It’s an antibiotic.”_ The man watched her and there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes as she pressed the hypo to his arm and began to wrap the bleeding wound.

 _“…you’re a Jedi.”_ He whispered.

Her hands jerked slightly and she bit the inside of her cheek. _“…how do you figure?”_

 _“I’ve been healed by Jedi before, I know what it feels like… like someone poured liquid sunshine into your chest.”_ Well she couldn’t deny that he’d felt the touch of the force before. _“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”_ He whispered, glancing toward the distant group of thugs.

Oh. He thought she was infiltrating Davik’s group as a jedi shadow. Well it was as good an excuse as any, and he wasn’t exactly wrong.

 _“Don’t blow my cover.”_ She said lowly as she wrapped up the excess bandage and slipped it back into her med kit. _“I can’t be seen being kind to you.”_ She said with an apologetic frown. The soldier nodded in understanding. _“They’re going to salvage the pod for parts and we’re going to take you prisoner. Better to be in a group than alone out here.”_ There was a flicker of fear in his presence but it was quickly being over-run by duty, understanding, and relief.

 _“Turn off the mines and let them through.”_ She instructed. The soldier reluctantly disarmed his trap and she quickly snatched the controls from him. _“Stick close to me. I’ll do what I can for you.”_ It wasn’t even a lie. If she could find a way to let him go without suspicion she would do it.

 _“Thank you.”_ He said quietly. She nodded before tossing the control over to Canderous, who caught it out of the air.

 _“Good work verd’ika.”_ She grinned at him. _“Keep an eye out with Taz and Wymer.”_ Nodding she took a guard position as the others started in on the escape pod.

Once the team had been laden down with enough useful scrap, including most of the mines, they were ordered to head out. Stella offered to watch the soldier on the way back. Being a medic meant she could sedate him if he tried anything. Canderous gave her a long look then agreed to let her guard the man. She felt Tarn’s mood improve slightly as she stood next to him. He knew his only real chance for escape was to cooperate with her, although his expression gave nothing away.

On their way back to the elevator Stella feels a strong force presence and stiffens. “Buir, I sense another force user nearby.” She hissed. The thugs looked at her in confusion but readied their weapons. Every time she’d noticed something they’d been attacked by rakghouls and had begun trusting in her ‘superior senses.’

“A force user? You sure about that?” She nodded.

“Whoever they are, they’re strong.” She shivered. “And touched with the dark.”

“Dar’jetii?” He rumbled quietly so only the two of them could hear her.

“I don’t know. It’s like they’re suppressing themselves, trying to hide.” It didn’t fill her with confidence, that was for sure. Anyone who could hide like that was dangerous and Stella had felt Fallen Jedi before.

 _“There’s someone up ahead, could be nothing, could be an enemy. Get ready.”_ The men relaxed a little, learning it was just other people and not more rakghouls. As if other people weren’t as dangerous or more so.

Rounding some pillars they come upon the group she had sensed before. There were three of them. Two human men and a twi’lek child. The first man had fair skin, light brown hair, and brown eyes, while the second had almost black hair, fair skin, and green eyes. The twi’lek was blue with brown eyes and clearly young, although they were almost the same height already. Much to Stella’s frustration.

 _“D-don’t move! I-I’m not afraid to use this!”_ She heard Canderous let out a small sigh as Taz stuttered and raised his blaster toward the new group.

 _“Settle down, kid, we have enough trouble with the rakghouls, we don’t need any unnecessary casualties.”_ Crossing his arms he looked over the new group carefully. _“From the looks of you I’d say you’re here for the same reason we are- to salvage something from those downed Republic escape pods.”_ As Canderous was speaking she shifted her focus from the man that screamed ‘dangerous force user’ and looked back at the Republic soldier. It was obvious that he knew this group of people with how he was giving off relief and eagerness. _“Forget about it, they’ve already been stripped of anything useful. Take my advice and get out of here as quickly as you can.”_

 _“We already know about the rakghouls, and we’re not here for scrap.”_ The man next to the force user says evenly. She can see the Republic soldier take a step forward but she stops him with a nudge from the force, warning him not to move. He looks at her, eyes wide, and she shakes her head, motioning for him to wait with her hand. He frowns but listens, still believing her to be an undercover Jedi.

 _“Canderous! I think I saw something over there in the shadows!”_ Turning away from the soldier she expanded her focus and felt the life-forms coming toward them. The thread of darkness within each of them seemed to be resonating with the darkness within the force user and attracting the rakghouls.

“Buir!” The brown haired man twitched and let off a feeling of anger and distrust that almost made her shudder. “A large group of them is coming this way! We’ll be surrounded!” Canderous grabbed his repeating blaster and planted his feet.

 _“Here they come! Don’t let them get too close!”_ He barked at his men.

The rakghouls came spilling into the small clearing from every direction. Almost as one the group stood back to back as they defended their small patch of ground. The Republic soldier, who hadn’t been given a gun, hovered near her. She could sense his panic and fear but also his unwavering belief that she would protect him. It was like an echo from her past, knowing someone was relying on her because she was a Jedi.

During the fight she took out a group of rakghouls between her and the force user’s group. She turned and ‘bumped’ into the soldier, handing him her second blaster and shoving him toward the other group. _“Go!”_ She hissed lowly. The man gripped the blaster tight and looked down at her with gratitude before he bolted over to the second group.

By the time all of the rakghouls were dead the soldier was safely standing behind what had to be his superior officer. The brunette with the brown eyes.

 _“I’ve had enough of this shit. We’re heading back. You’ll get out of here too if you know what’s good for you.”_ Canderous snapped at the force user and his group.

 _“What about the pris-”_ Canderous rounded on the thug.

 _“Leave him, all that matters is that we get this scrap back to base. If he wants to die with that lot then good riddance.”_ The thug swallowed his response and backed down. No one wanted to mess with a pissed off Mandalorian. “You alright verd’ika?” She nodded.

“I’m fine. Looks like that one doesn’t like Mando’ade though.” She didn’t think she had to elaborate who, considering the closed fists, clenched jaw, and heavy glare being aimed their way.

“Ignore him, verd’ika, plenty of reasons to not like us.” Letting out a small huff she looked over at the soldier and gave him a small smile. The man ducked his head but she could feel the waves of gratefulness coming off of him.

 _“Move out!”_ Canderous ordered. The thugs grumbled but no one complained about the idea. No one wanted to stay in the rakghoul infested undercity any longer than necessary after all.

As they’re walking one of the thugs scowls at her. _“You were supposed to be watching the prisoner!”_

 _“Well I’m sorry that I was too busy making sure the rakghouls didn’t crawl up your shebs, you ungrateful prick.”_ She snapped back at him. The group fell silent, the thugs eying her with a sense of confusion. Canderous burst into laughter.

“I thought you would have been raised to speak more politely, all things considered.” She lets out an amused snort.

“I speak many languages, thankfully idiot is one of them.” Canderous chuckles. “I don’t like to be crude,” she explains, “but I will use whatever tools I have at my disposal. And surprise is an excellent tool.” She feels a spark of pride in the midst of wariness and amusement.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

[Bran]

“Bevik, are you alright?” Turning to look at the new addition to their merry little band he noticed the bandage on his arm and frowned.

“I’m fine, Sir. That girl… the pink haired one?” Carth nodded in understanding, expression complicated. The girl was hard to miss considering how she almost seemed to glow in the dim light of the undercity. “She was a jedi.” Carth’s eyebrows rose toward his hairline and he shook his head.

“She couldn’t have been a jedi, she was wearing Mandalorian armor and speaking Mandalorian.” The soldier shook his head.

“She cured me with the Force and let me escape. I’ve felt that kind of thing before.” Carth looked skeptical but Bran knew the soldier was right. There was something about her that seemed… familiar.

“Hey! Can we get a move-on? We have to save Big Z!” Turning to the young twi’lek in their midst Bran nodded.

“Good thing we now have an extra gun to help us save your friend.” The girl smiled and relaxed, turning to the soldier.

“Alright new guy, hope your aim is good!” The soldier chuckled and checked over the weapon he had been given.

“It’s Corporal, Corporal Tarn Bevik. But you can call me Tarn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a;
> 
> Buir- Parent, in this case Father.  
> Shebs- Ass  
> Verd'ika- Little Warrior/Young Warrior, also the rank of Private.


End file.
